Is God Evolving at the Speed of Man?

This week’s homily was motivated by an particularly insightful response to last week’s essay, “God as Valentine:”

“I am of the mind that the practice of the time should not be mingled with the theology/belief that we in today’s world have or should have for who God is.”

What’s so exciting about this response is that it addresses, with laser focus, the reason so many of us are hurting right now: We have accepted ancient scribes’ vision of what God is, what God wants, what God does and through what practices God should be served.

Is it possible that the ancient scribes’ view of God might not be real? Their view of God is based on their limited knowledge of everything from genetics and geography to astronomy and physics. Most of those who heard their stories were illiterate, not intellectuals.

Our understanding of life on this planet has evolved; yet we place our faith in ancient scribes who believed that the earth not only was flat; it was the center of the Universe. The ancients believed that God demanded live sacrifices. Today, we call such sacrifices satanic.

What changed: Us or God?

If we had a better understanding of what God is and what God does, we wouldn’t feel so abandoned or punished when Life flips us on our heads. Is our faith in the words or in our God? As Stevie says, “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, you suffer.”

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand this: In the ancients’ version of human history, God planned a mass murder; he declared that he would ”wipe out” every plant and tree, and all but a few living creatures. He then waited patiently for decades for Noah to build an ark so that God could stow away a few survivors.

Then, the scribes tell us, after that long wait, God turned on the spigot and forgot about the ark. On the 40th day, they wrote, God “remembered” (Gen. 8:1). Are we to believe that God is not omniscient or that the ancients weren’t sophisticated storytellers?

Not sure? Try this: As their story continues, the rain suddenly stopped; but the waters didn’t recede for another 110 days. That seems to have confused poor Noah–and we certainly can understand that. He had to have been delirious by then.

Let’s face it: 150 days on a luxury cruise ship would drive anyone batty! What would be the mental condition of someone confined to a vessel with one window and one door–and filled with fecal matter and carcasses of animals (and perhaps humans) who didn’t survive the life-threatening and unsanitary conditions? Without a 150-day supply of food and potable water, how did any of them survive?

The ancient scribes didn’t think that through. They could only write what they knew.

An omniscient God, however, certainly knew what would happen under such inhumane conditions. So what does that say for this version of history being from God’s mouth to the scribes’ ears? What do you say when a 21st Century construction contractor in the Netherlands devotes nearly four years of his life replicating the vessel to the exact dimensions that the scribes provided?

As the ancient story goes, Noah trusted a dove, who didn’t escape the horrific conditions on the ark by flying out of the open window, to be smart enough to bring him proof that the water had receded. The fact that the bird returned wasn’t a miracle. But returning with a freshly plucked olive leaf? (Gen. 8:11) Every plant, tree and bush on earth was root-rotted. The ancient scribes weren’t aware, but we know that dead bodies contaminate water; so how on earth did an olive tree grow?

And how on earth did they devise this ending to this story? After leaving the ark, a grateful Noah built an altar to God, took some of the surviving animals and birds and inhumanely killed them, as a sacrifice (Gen. 8:20). Help me out here: They had miraculously managed to survive the grotesque conditions with little food and water, among carnivorous predators–to end up on a butcher’s slab? Raise your hand if you believe this.

Keep it raised if you believe the next sentence in this saga: “The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.” (Gen. 8:21).

Yes, we are to believe that:

  • God found the smell of the dead meat soothing. (Did the aroma waft up to Heaven?)
  • God decided that killing everything and everybody wasn’t such a great idea after all–and said that He would never do it again (God makes mistakes?)
  • God came to the conclusion that humans are simply evil. (Wouldn’t an omniscient God would know that before the genocide?)

I know someone is going to object: We shouldn’t question what God does.
Of course, that presumes that God is so impotent that He is threatened or angered by our desire to understand Him. More important, it presumes that God is not fully evolved and that man is not evolving toward Godliness.

Are you open to the possibility that God has been waiting patiently for centuries for us to evolve enough to ask these common sense questions? Is it possible that God has been waiting for someone–maybe you–to disassociate him from these barbaric, inhumane acts and clear His good name?

Is God Evolving at the Speed of Man?

I received some interesting comments to last week’s homily. Unfortunately, they were all sent by email because it was so hard to see the “add comments” link. To remedy that, I’ve changed the page design. You can now shout back at the Loud Mouth by clicking the comment link to the right of the date.

This week’s homily was motivated by an particularly insightful response to last week’s essay, “God as Valentine:”

“I am of the mind that the practice of the time should not be mingled with the theology/belief that we in today’s world have or should have for who God is.”

What’s so exciting about this response is that it addresses, with laser focus, the reason so many of us are hurting right now: We have accepted ancient scribes’ vision of what God is, what God wants, what God does and through what practices God should be served.

Is it possible that the ancient scribes’ view of God might not be real? Their view of God is based on their limited knowledge of everything from genetics and geography to astronomy and physics. Most of those who heard their stories were illiterate, not intellectuals.

Our understanding of life on this planet has evolved; yet we place our faith in ancient scribes who believed that the earth not only was flat; it was the center of the Universe. The ancients believed that God demanded live sacrifices. Today, we call such sacrifices satanic.

What changed: Us or God?

If we had a better understanding of what God is and what God does, we wouldn’t feel so abandoned or punished when Life flips us on our heads. Is our faith in the words or in our God? As Stevie says, “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, you suffer.”

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand this: In the ancients’ version of human history, God planned a mass murder; he declared that he would “wipe out” every plant and tree, and all but a few living creatures. He then waited patiently for decades for Noah to build an ark so that God could stow away a few survivors.

Then, the scribes tell us, after that long wait, God turned on the spigot and forgot about the ark. On the 40th day, they wrote, God “remembered” (Gen. 8:1). Are we to believe that God is not omniscient or that the ancients weren’t sophisticated storytellers?

Not sure? Try this: As their story continues, the rain suddenly stopped; but the waters didn’t recede for another 110 days. That seems to have confused poor Noah–and we certainly can understand that. He had to have been delirious by then.

Let’s face it: 150 days on a luxury cruise ship would drive anyone batty! What would be the mental condition of someone confined to a vessel with one window and one door–and filled with fecal matter and carcasses of animals (and perhaps humans) who didn’t survive the life-threatening and unsanitary conditions? Without a 150-day supply of food and potable water, how did any of them survive?

The ancient scribes didn’t think that through. They could only write what they knew.

An omniscient God, however, certainly knew what would happen under such inhumane conditions. So what does that say for this version of history being from God’s mouth to the scribes’ ears? What do you say when a 21st Century construction contractor in the Netherlands devotes nearly four years of his life replicating the vessel to the exact dimensions that the scribes provided?

As the ancient story goes, Noah trusted a dove, who didn’t escape the horrific conditions on the ark by flying out of the open window, to be smart enough to bring him proof that the water had receded. The fact that the bird returned wasn’t a miracle. But returning with a freshly plucked olive leaf? (Gen. 8:11)  Every plant, tree and bush on earth was root-rotted. The ancient scribes weren’t aware, but we know that dead bodies contaminate water; so how on earth did an olive tree grow?

And how on earth did they devise this ending to this story? After leaving the ark, a grateful Noah built an altar to God, took some of the surviving animals and birds and inhumanely killed them, as a sacrifice (Gen. 8:20). Help me out here: They had miraculously managed to survive the grotesque conditions with little food and water, among carnivorous predators–to end up on a butcher’s slab? Raise your hand if you believe this.

Keep it raised if you believe the next sentence in this saga: “The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.” (Gen. 8:21). 

Yes, we are to believe that:

  • God found the smell of the dead meat soothing. (Did the aroma waft up to Heaven?)
  • God decided that killing everything and everybody wasn’t such a great idea after all–and said that He would never do it again (God makes mistakes?)
  • God came to the conclusion that humans are simply evil. (Wouldn’t an omniscient God would know that before the genocide?)

I know someone is going to object: We shouldn’t question what God does.

Of course, that presumes that God is so impotent that He is threatened or angered by our desire to understand Him. More important, it presumes that God is not fully evolved and that man is not evolving toward Godliness.

Are you open to the possibility that God has been waiting patiently for centuries for us to evolve enough to ask these common sense questions? Is it possible that God has been waiting for someone–maybe you–to disassociate him from these barbaric, inhumane acts and clear His good name? 

God as Valentine

Raise your hand if you expect your significant other to “show you some love” on Valentine’s Day. After all, there’s only one day in the year that celebrates Love. Maybe that’s why we have such great expectations. Admit it, Girls: We want something a lot more romantic and thoughtful than chocolates and flowers. If only our men were as romantic and thoughtful as our First Lady’s. (Sigh)
Chances are, it was chocolates and/or flowers again this year. Right? We held back the tears, fawned over the flowers, and munched every chocolate, hoping that that there was something gold, platinum or even diamond hidden inside one of those tiny cups. It was not to be.

Look on the bright side. It could have been worse.

John Hinckley, Jr. comes to mind. Remember Hinckley? He attempted to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan. It was a rather, er, dramatic way of expressing his love for actress Jodie Foster, whom he’d never met. Ms. Foster didn’t feel the love—and neither did anyone else, as far as I know.
I could be wrong. Does anybody out there believe that the blasts from Hinckley’s .22 pistol were appropriate expressions of love?

No? How about Susan Smith and Andrea Yates? Both women claim that their love for a man compelled them to drown their children. Do you think the men in question were freaked out or grateful that these living sacrifices were made on their behalf?

What did you think about these women committing filicide in the name of love: Was their behavior divine or satanic?

I ask this because it has been written and oft repeated that God sanctioned the unspeakably inhumane torture of one of his children–ironically, the only good one. We have been told that this murder demonstrated God’s deep love for those who are not so good.

Is that what you believe? If so, do you also believe that Hinckley, Smith and Yates’ behavior was an expression of divine love? (Please note: this is an apples to apples comparison of behavior.)
Most of us don’t think about what we believe. We believe what others tell us to believe–and, in many cases, we are discouraged or even threatened if we don’t blindly accept their beliefs. In this space, you are encouraged to think, analyze and ask yourself…

  1. What Do I Believe–and Why Do I Believe It?

  2. Do I believe that God is Love?

  3. How do I expect God to express love?

  4. Do I believe that Love would torture an innocent person to death, to benefit the guilty?

  5. Do I believe that God would torture an innocent person to death, to benefit the guilty?

  6. Do I believe that Love commits or sanctions inhumane behavior for any reason?

  7. Do I believe that God commits or sanctions inhumane behavior for any reason?

  8. Are live sacrifices satanic or loving acts?

There are no right or wrong answers here. The important thing is that you begin to think about your beliefs, and begin to understand what your beliefs mean and how they make you feel? For example, are you more likely to be fearful if you believe that God who solves problems by killing people? Does fear generate peace or stress?

I’ll be asking questions every week. You supply your own answers. As you explore your beliefs, in private, you’ll begin to discover a lot about yourself–perhaps even more about your perceptions of God.

God as Valentine

Welcome to this space called Homilies for the Home-Churched. This is a space where Thinkers who are open to the possibility that God is Bigger and Better than we’ve read or heard, gather on a path to Inner Peace.

The inaugural homily is naturally about LOVE: God as Valentine.

Raise your hand if you expect your significant other to “show you some love” on Valentine’s Day. After all, there’s only one day in the year that celebrates Love. Maybe that’s why we have such great expectations. Admit it, Girls: We want something a lot more romantic and thoughtful than chocolates and flowers. If only our men were as romantic and thoughtful as our First Lady’s. (Sigh)

Chances are, it was chocolates and/or flowers again this year. Right? We held back the tears, fawned over the flowers, and munched every chocolate, hoping that that there was something gold, platinum or even diamond hidden inside one of those tiny cups. It was not to be.

Look on the bright side. It could have been worse.  

John Hinckley, Jr. comes to mind. Remember Hinckley? He attempted to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan. It was a rather, er, dramatic way of expressing his love for actress Jodie Foster, whom he’d never met. Ms. Foster didn’t feel the love—and neither did anyone else, as far as I know.

I could be wrong. Does anybody out there believe that the blasts from Hinckley’s .22 pistol were appropriate expressions of love?

No? How about Susan Smith and Andrea Yates? Both women claim that their love for a man compelled them to drown their children. Do you think the men in question were freaked out or grateful that these living sacrifices were made on their behalf?

What did you think about these women committing filicide in the name of love: Was their behavior divine or satanic? 

I ask this because it has been written and oft repeated that God sanctioned the unspeakably inhumane torture of one of his children–ironically, the only good one. We have been told that this murder demonstrated God’s deep love for those who are not so good.

Is that what you believe? If so, do you also believe that Hinckley, Smith and Yates’ behavior was an expression of divine love? (Please note: this is an apples to apples comparison of behavior.)

Most of us don’t think about what we believe. We believe what others tell us to believe–and, in many cases, we are discouraged or even threatened if we don’t blindly accept their beliefs. In this space, you are encouraged to think, analyze and ask yourself… 

What Do I Believe–and Why Do I Believe It?

  1. Do I believe that God is Love? 
  2. How do I expect God to express love?  
  3. Do I believe that Love would torture an innocent person to death, to benefit the guilty? 
  4. Do I believe that God would torture an innocent person to death, to benefit the guilty?
  5. Do I believe that Love commits or sanctions inhumane behavior for any reason?
  6. Do I believe that God commits or sanctions inhumane behavior for any reason?
  7. Are live sacrifices satanic or loving acts?

There are no right or wrong answers here. The important thing is that you begin to think about your beliefs, and begin to understand what your beliefs mean and how they make you feel? For example, are you more likely to be fearful if you believe that God who solves problems by killing people? Does fear generate peace or stress?

I’ll be asking questions every week in the homily. You supply your own answers. As you explore your beliefs, in private, you’ll begin to discover a lot about yourself–perhaps even more about your perceptions of God.

 

What Should the “Loud Mouth” Wear to the Grammy Awards?

Every parent knows how giddy we get when our kids do well. My over-achiever potty-trained herself, was “top of the class” smart in school, graduated from a prestigious college and became a successful Ford model. Now my singing/songwriting baby girl has captured a Grammy nod.

Maiysha’s middle name, Kai, means “lovable” in Swahili. What I love most about her is that this wunderkind is as sweet an unaffected by her talent, looks and brains as the day is long: a beautiful person as well as a beautiful woman. (Thank you, God!)

Maiysha started singing when she was two. It stunned her Dad and me back then that she actually sang on-key. On my birthday this year, her debut album, “This Much Is True,” was released. Earlier this week, her debut single from that album, “Wanna Be,” was nominated for a Grammy.

This is not hip-hop; it’s music that appeals to all demographic groups. I invite you to enjoy it absolutely free and with no obligation: Visit her website, http://www.maiysha.com/. And watch the performance videos. (Personally, I think the “Wanna Be” music video should have been nominated, too. You’ll see.)

I hadn’t thought about what I should wear to the awards show until so many of my friends asked. Frankly, I thought my indelible Cheshire cat grin would suffice.
No?

Head-to-Head with Einstein’s Brain

I wouldn’t pit my brain against Albert Einstein’s, and I certainly wouldn’t bid against the guy who forked over $404,000 in an auction for one of Einstein’s letters. Just a guess, but I think he has a higher credit limit on his cards than I do.

Is this undisclosed bidder a show-off, a physics buff, a spend-thrift, or are the contents of this letter really worth that much money? It depends upon how much you value the genius quantum physicist’s thoughts about God–and religion (terms that, for some, are mutually exclusive). An article in today’s New York Times gives us a peek into this unique missive, at a price that will fit our budgets.

The Answer to Prayer

An article in today’s Chicago Tribune has once again stirred my curiosity about the power of prayer. I’m wondering what you think about it.
According to the Trib’s story, Artemia Torres, a single mother from Mexico, came to Chicago at the advice of relatives who assured her that she could earn more money to keep her two children in college. The relatives forgot to mention that they lived in a rough part of town. Oops.
When Ms. Torres discovered that she’d landed in a high street crime area, she did what any devout Catholic would do: Every morning before leaving home to sell corn-on-the-cob, mangoes and snow cones from her mobile cart, she prayed for God’s protection. For good measure, she traveled on her daily rounds with a rosary and two pictures of Catholic saints.
One day, after going a full morning without a sale, it looked as if her luck was about to change. A customer finally appeared. He asked for corn; what he really wanted was her money. When she didn’t have any, he did what any Chicago street thug worth his stripes would do: he shot her. He could have been more ruthless; he aimed for her thigh, not her heart.
Fascinating stuff. What does this incident say to you about the power of prayer?

Tour Begins, Freebies End

Friday, March 28, marks an important milestone: The launch of the most joyful work of my lifetime: The Bringing in the Light Tour and the release of my new book, Crossing an Unseen Bridge.

Last summer, four authors and speakers, Gaile Dry-Burton, Patrice Gaines and Trevy McDonald, and myself founded HIPP Books, LLC, deriving our name from our dedication to promote Health, Inspirational, Peace and Prosperity. When we decided to take our act on the road, it was best-selling author Patrice Gaines who offered another name: “Bringing in the Light.” It described our mission perfectly.
Since that fateful day, we have created an empowering series of workshops that are as insightful as they are fun. As the tour schedule develops, I will keep you posted. In most cases, the events are free. In each city, we’re featuring a local author in our genre. In New York, it’s best-selling author Terrie M. Williams. We’re very excited about that.
There will be two “Come, Bring Your Light” panel discussions on each side of the main event. Both are in Harlem. Friday evening at 6 o’clock, we’ll be at the National Black Theatre of Harlem and Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock, we’ll wrap up at Hue-Man Books and Cafe.

Publicity surrounding the main event on Saturday, March 29 at The New School University in Greenwich Village has created quite a buzz. (Maybe it was the news that New York’s famed Dinosaur Bar-B-Q is catering the free lunch.) At any rate, it’s the hottest ticket in town. To make sure that they don’t have to turn you away, RSVP no later than today to: marciam@datewithabook.com. Warning: It might already be too late. Speaking of too late…
Free Downloads End Tonight!
The floodgates are about to close! If you’re one of the few who hasn’t read Crossing an Unseen Bridge (and hasn’t discovered the Law of Attraction secrets that no one wants to talk about), downloads are free until midnight. I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you.

Have you seen any of the Crossing an Unseen Bridge reviews? Readers are sending back a lot of love from the other side. Not since “Drama Queens” have I cried such happy tears! The feedback has touched me as deeply as you tell me that this book has touched you. Read a few reviews.

We’ve noticed an uptick in downloads and sales of EARTH Is the MOTHER of All Drama Queens–especially by those who have read Crossing an Unseen Bridge. Maybe it’s because the two are perfect companion books–or maybe it’s because this is the first time that the 320-page book has been offered free. If it’s the latter, here’s a news flash: Drama Queen freebies also end tonight.

The Politician and His Pastor

In my role as the spirituality editor of The Daily Voice online news source, I was asked to weigh in on the controversy surrounding Barack Obama’s pastor’s resignation from his presidential campaign from a spiritual rather than political point of view. If you’re interested in what the Loud Mouth saw from the balcony of that drama, read it here.

Why Do We Believe It?

I’m always in awe of people who can quote scripture. I’m equally intrigued when they insist that it is the Word of God. My latest book delves into our beliefs a bit. I am convinced that many of us haven’t the slightest idea what we believe, what our beliefs really mean or why we believe them.

Is it important to understand what you believe? Well, since our beliefs motivate our actions, I think so–and so does retired Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong*, renowned expert on the Bible, best-selling author and former fundamentalist from the Bible belt.

A minister at my church, who knows I am a big fan of Bishop Spong’s, sent me this illuminating speech. I thought I’d share. When you have 83 minutes to spare, it will be time well-spent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZM3FXlLMug

Enjoy the enlightenment!

*Disclaimer: Bishop Spong endorsed my first book.